For Australia's tech talent. the 2022 jobs market is as buoyant as ever Posted almost 2 years ago by Rupert Turner

It's the end of the financial year, and spirits are in the sky! We have had a great year helping more people than ever find new jobs whilst working with a wide variety of companies and clients and growing our team here in Sydney. 

 

As we reset and take stock here at Client Server Australia, we also look ahead and review the current trends in the market and what we might be able to expect from these moving forward. 

 

The Australian tech scene is going full steam ahead and the challenges presented are multiple. Still, a hiring manager I met this week said, "this also provides a great opportunity".

 

Below is a brief outline of what trends we are currently noticing and what we might witness in the upcoming 12 months. 

 

The market here is becoming ever more candidate-driven. The number of opportunities present seems to be increasing by the day, and candidates know this. So they generally, if they are any good, will have their pick. 

 

This doesn't change that selective candidates won't apply far and wide and will concentrate on the roles they're looking for. They're getting the most success out of their job hunts right now. 

 

Companies know that the market is tight for talent, not just because they're competing with many businesses but also because of the lack of engineers emigrating to Australia. On top of this, the significant drop off in international students entering graduate roles and making their way through the market over the past couple of years is becoming evident with the number of junior vacancies. All official statistics suggest there will still be a lag in immigration numbers for a couple of years. 

 

So, how do you make yourself stand out as a hiring organisation? And as a candidate, how do you give yourself the best chance moving forwards?

 

The fundamentals of software engineering interviews don't change. So make sure you've brushed on data structures and algorithms and know the tech on your CV inside and out.  

 

In terms of emerging technologies and what companies are starting to look out for, the list below may be worth picking up on: 

• Kotlin
• TypeScript 
• Kubernetes
• WebAssembly 
• Pulumi & Terraform
• Kafka 
• Distributed Computing
• GoLang
• Web 3.0 technologies with Ethereum blockchain increase in usage. 

 

If you are a hiring manager, and you are asking yourself; How do we stand out from the crowd? How do we compete for talent in a crowded marketplace? The best advice I can give you is to look at your process. The turnaround speed from receiving a candidate's CV to getting an offer out does not want to be longer than two weeks! Also, don't forget that a candidate is not just interviewing with you but probably has a couple of other ongoing processes they need to juggle in their diary. 

 

You want them to feel engaged and brought into the company early in the process, not having to jump through levels of interview that increase in difficulty or go over the same subjects each round. Not that I would quite recommend the opposite on the spectrum, as one client we have seen hire a lot here in Sydney, who are putting offers to candidates after a 1 stage 45-minute interview with three engineers! 

 

Put yourself on the candidate's side of the interview. Why would you want to work there? Explain to candidates what projects they are coming in to work on, why they are interesting, and the tangible impact they will have on the business. 

 

The race to keep up with candidates' salary expectations is also something to keep in mind. This is an area where we are documenting some vast discrepancies between companies. For positions at relatively similar levels and responsibilities, we have witnessed a disparity of up to $30k between offers! When was the last time you did a salary review and considered how competitive you are on that front? While not always a critical fact, it is an important one that will often play a part. 

 

So, as we gear up for FY23 and with the opportunity to kick off on the right foot, we look forward to the challenges ahead. As a business, we are always looking ahead and continuing to grow our team here, so if you're interested in joining us, please do reach out. We have some exciting times ahead and are keen to see where this year will take us!